Living. Learning. Sharing

In today’s culture, social media is just a part of what we do. It used to be that when we we met someone new we’d ask for a phone number, now it’s “Hey, are you on Facebook? or “What’s your IG handle?” (Or if you’re really cool… your Snap Chat code.) Personally, social media has been good to me. I’ve reconnected with old friends (and by that I mean actually have reconnected in the real world), I’ve made new friends and, most recently, I’ve been able to earn some profit through my Instagram and Twitter accounts.

But, with all the good that social media can bring, it is certainly not all good. In fact, if we aren’t careful, social media can be harmful and even dangerous. This is why I am really looking forward to sharing this Real Moms Talk guest post with you today. Kate Shelby from Australian Mum shares some wonderful insight on the subject of social media addiction. I hope you find the information as helpful and interesting as I did!

Are you addicted to social media? Social media addiction might seem harmless but it has the potential to take over your life. Social media addiction can affect our daily life, how we behave towards other people and our pathological thought process.

The social media environment has us thinking our friends need to see every aspect of our life . I’m guilty of it too. Ask yourself the question. Are you addicted to social media? Were all affected in different ways.

The Desensitized

These are people who spend so much time on social media they live in a fantasy world where they don’t care if they hurt people’s feelings. They troll posts with constant opinions and abrasive comments. Because when you’re behind a keyboard for so long you become emotionally detached and void of real feelings.

The Oversensitive.

These are people who spend so much time on social media they produce a complex that has them feeling like every piece of content is someway aimed at them. Like they are a part of every social media topic. They will find a way for almost anything to upset them and are easily offended over just about any topic available.

The Lurker

These are people who sit on social media for hours at a time scrolling but don’t say anything. You may have noticed them in your feed. Constantly liking pictures but they never say much. But they are always on social media. You can pretty much bet anytime of day you can post a photo and they will like it. If you approach and talk to them you might get a conversation. But overall they are stuck in routine of spending all of their spare time in an eternity of scrolling.

Are You Addicted To Social Media?

The Signs Of Social Media Addiction

You can’t go a few minutes without checking your social media

You avoid going anywhere because you might miss something on social media

You feel like you have to engage in almost every thing on social media or people won’t know you’re on social media

When you talk with your friends – it’s mostly about social media

There’s more happening in your social media life than your real life

You get social media hangovers. Your depressed about social media but you can’t get off social media

You’re secretly getting on social media when you should be doing something else

You become unwanted or feel ignored when nobody interacts with you on social media

Social media has become a basic human need like Food, Water & Sleep.

You wake up in the middle of the night and the first thing you do is check your phone

You troll other people’s posts for entertainment or find things to be pissed off about on social media

You assume things about a person’s whole life based on a few pictures or opinions

My Own Personal Story With Social Media Addiction

The reason I’m writing this is not to judge but I’m not going to be soft on the topic either. I have been there. In 2007 I sat next to my son’s hospital bed for 9 months. My son had cancer and my son’s father had a mental breakdown so bad he wouldn’t even come and visit. My family was living two states away and the only way to stay connected to the world outside of the 8th floor of a hospital was social media – this is what I told myself.

When my baby became well enough to leave the hospital life behind it was evident I had become addicted to social media. I became so reliant on social media for my friendships It took at least two years to make new friendships outside of Myspace (2007 People….it was the big thing then).

Then came a time a few years ago a huge wake up call slapped me in the face. Watching someone do the same thing to me. The collapse of my relationship had many factors, however, social media played a huge part. The relationships made on social media can be tempting and those that are trying to escape daily life may make mistakes. People get hurt.

Social media can also be very toxic. I’ve seen relationships collapse because of things being taken out of context. I’ve seen full-blown Mummy Wars over things that don’t even require further comment. The media have a huge advantage on social media and can often have people fighting because of one deliberate controversial post. It’s almost like a funny game to get mothers to attack each other on some of these sites. I refuse to play into that. You should too.

Social Media Addiction

Actions You Can Take Today To Limit Your Activity

Remove Social Media Smartphone Apps to limit your usage at work

Log out of smart phone apps regularly to make ease of access more difficult

Set yourself a daily Data limit so your phone disconnects you at the maximum amount.

Plan other things to do in advance and set reminders that will interrupt you on social media

Tell your friends the truth. You have a social media problem and you need support

Tell your family you would like to see them every second weekend

Register for outside events on Facebook so you’re reminded to leave the house

Subscribe to local pages that remind you that your local area has things to offer

Hide other people in your news feed that are constantly posting – Don’t play “Do as I do” with them

Consider a social media addiction Rehab Plan

Plan a holiday to somewhere with no network access to break the cycle of social media addiction

If you’re confident cold turkey will help have your internet cut of

Being addicted to social media does NOT define the person you are.

It is time to kick the habit.

Meet Kate:

My name is Kate. When I’m not writing I am busy raising my children and tackling the curve balls of life. My writing is influenced by my life. I’m sincerious but I don’t shy away from telling it how it is. I love Superheroes, Villians & Chocolate.